Improvement in wood-splitting machines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. KNIGHT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN WOOD-SPLITTING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 42,780, dated May 17, 1864.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. KNIGHT, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Splitting Wood; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference' being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side sectional elevation 5 Fig. 2, an end elevation, Fig. 3, a plan view.

Similar letters of reference indicate the stme parts.

The frame is composed of two horizontal bars, A A', supported at one end by a vertical upright, B, and at the opposite end by two bars, C C, which also serve as guide-rods between which the splitting-ham mer D rises and falls. E is the splitting-knife, composed of a block of steel armed at its upper end with four cutting-blades of wedge forni which cross each other. The knife E is supported upon a splitting-block, F, having inclined sides to allow the split wood to fall freely away from the knife. The sides of the hammer D are provided with ears a a a a, through which the guiderods U pass, as shown in Fig. 2. Resting upon the block F-one upon each side of the knife E--are two guard-blocks, G, and upon each of them -is a rubber guard-spring, H. The guide-rods O pass through both the blocks G and the springs H and keep them in place. The object of these blocks and springs is to receive and reduce the concussion of the knife-hammer D when it falls, and also to prevent the contact of the hammer with the knife. The knife-hammer D is raised by means of a rope, b, which passes from the hammer up between the bars A A' over a grooved pulley, I, mounted upon the top of said bars A A', to the loose crank J. This crank J turns loose upon the shaft K of the pinion L, said shaft K being secured in suitable bearings upon the bar A', while the loose crank J moves between the bars A A', as shown. Upon the shaft K, between the loose crank J and the pinion I, is a fixed crank, M, upon the end of which is a projecting stud or pin, N.

Motion is communicated to the crank M through the medium ofthe pinions O O' and their shafts and the band iy-wheel P, which are attached upon the bars A A' and arranged in the manner shown in thel several figures. The knife-hammer D is now to be supposed to have descended, and its lower ears rest upon the rubber springs H, asindicated by red outline, Figs. l and 2. If motion is now communicated to the pinion L in the direction of the arrow, the fixed crank M will also move in the same direction, and its stud N will come in contact with the side of the loose crank J and carry it around also in the direction of the arrow, thus drawing up or lifting the knife-hammer D; but 'as soon as the loose crank J has been carried above the center of its shaft K the knife-hammer D will suddenly fall by its own gravity and pull forward the loose crank J into its original position, when th'e fixed crank M, continuing to move in the direction ofthe arrow, will soon overtake the loose crank J, and stud N will again carry the loose crank up past the center of shaft K. and thus the strokes of the hammer D will be repeated.

The wood to be split is to be placed between the knife and the hammer by an attendant.

The arrangement f the cranks J M to swing between the bars A A', and the guide C to support the front end of the bars A A', with the rods passing through the springs, all unite to form a steady, effective, and easily-constructed machine.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The arrangement of the fixed and loose cranks J M, grooved pulley I, and bars A A', with the supporting guide-rods C, eared hammer D, springs H, and knife E, all in the manner herein set forth and described.

2. The combination ofthe gear-wheels O O,

crank M N, and revolving lever J, when c011- structed and arranged as specified, and operating in connection with the cord b and harnmer D, in the manner and for the purpose described JOHN A. KNIGHT.

Witnesses:

J oHN J EoKo,

WILLIAM I. MARTIN. 

